Lady Lilith Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 ©Delaware Art Museum, Samuel and Mary R. Bancroft Collection Lady Lilith DGR 1864-1868 (circa) Royal Academy, 1867 Frederick Leyland Delaware Art Museum (repainted version) F.R. Leyland; purchased by Samuel Bancroft at the Leyland sale, Christies, May 28, 1892 (no. 56); given by Bancroft to the Delaware Art Museum oil 37 1/2 x 32 in. Delaware Art Museum, Bancroft collection print. Delaware Art Museum, Bancroft collection print. Marillier, <hi rend="i">DGR: An Illustrated Memorial</hi> , 132. Gowans and Gray, <hi rend="i"> <xref doc="a.ac-gowans.759.2r735m393.rad" workcode="2-1867.s205" from="30">Masterpieces of DGR</xref> </hi> , 30. See Stephens, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 68-69. Worldly Beauty Fanny Cornforth <artist/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnpictorial> <citnmythic> <name/> <culture/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnmythic> <citnhistorical> <event/> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnhistorical> <citnautobiographical> <name/> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnautobiographical> <citnscenic> <place/> <date/> <bibl/> <note/> </citnscenic> </listcitn> </source> <commentaries> <head>Commentary</head> <section type="intro"> <head>Introduction</head> <p> This is the picture as DGR originally executed it, with Fanny Cornforth as the model. It was painted in 1864, but in 1872-1873 DGR <xref doc="a.s205.rap">substituted the face of Alexa Wilding</xref> for that of Fanny Cornforth. Almost no one has been happy with the change.</p> <p> The <xref doc="a.s205.r-1.rap">watercolor replica</xref> in the Metropolitan Museum, in which Cornforth is the model, gives some better idea of what this painting must have looked like. <xref doc="a.nd497.r8.m33.rad" workcode="2-1867.s205" from="[132averso]">Marillier</xref> supplies a black and white reproduction from a contemporary photograph.<xref doc="a.n1.p6.1894.rad" workcode="2-1867.s205" from="68" to="69">Stephens'</xref> description of the painting refers to this original oil work.</p> </section> <section type="prodhist"> <head>Production History</head> <p>The painting was commissioned by Frederick Leyland in 1866 but not finished until 1868 (or perhaps even 1869).</p> </section> <section type="recepthist"> <head>Reception</head> <p> The critical remarks by<xref doc="a.n5054.r47.rad" workcode="2-1867.s205" from="46" to="47">Swinburne</xref> and<xref doc="a.n1.p6.1894.rad" workcode="2-1867.s205" from="68" to="69">Stephens</xref> testify to the power of this picture in its original state.</p> </section> <section type="icon"> <head>Iconograpic</head> <p/> </section> <section type="pictorial"> <head>Pictorial</head> <p/> </section> <section type="historical"> <head>Historical</head> <p/> </section> <section type="literary"> <head>Literary</head> <p/> </section> <section type="autobio"> <head>Autobiographical</head> <p/> </section> <section type="biblio"> <head>Bibliographic</head> <p> <bibl> <author>Allen</author>,<xref doc="a.artbull.001.rad" link="dead" workcode="2-1867.s205" from="285" to="294"> <title level="es">“One Strangling Golden Hair” . Edelstein, “Rossetti and the Sensation Novel” . Elzea, <hi rend="i">Bancroft and Related Collections</hi> , 114-17. Faxon, <hi rend="i">Dante Gabriel Rossetti</hi> , 201-03. Fennell, <hi rend="i">The Rossetti-Leyland Letters</hi> , 14-17, 27-37. Gowans and Gray, <hi rend="i"> <xref doc="a.ac-gowans.759.2r735m393.rad" from="30">Masterpieces of DGR</xref> </hi> , 30. Marillier, <hi rend="i"> <xref doc="a.nd497.r8.m33.rad" from="132" to="134">DGR: An Illustrated Memorial</xref> </hi> , 132-34. Miller, “The Mirror's Secret” . Pittman, “Strumpet and the Snake” . Smith, “Lady Lilith and the Language of Flowers. Stephens, <hi rend="i">Dante Gabriel Rossetti</hi> , 66-69. Surtees, <hi rend="i">A Catalogue Raisonné</hi> , vol. 1, 116-18 (no. 205). Swinburne, <hi rend="i"> <xref doc="a.n5054.r47.rad" workcode="2-1867.s205" from="46" to="47">Notes on the Royal Academy Exhibition</xref> </hi> , 46-47.